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Six Main Things To Consider when buying a reseller hosting package

2005-01-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

by Abdillahi Abdillahi

Are you ready to start your own web hosting company? The best way to start your own web hosting company is to get a reseller hosting package from a hosting company and start your web hosting company instantly without buying or installing any softwares.But When buying a reseller hosting package, there are many things to consider . So today this article lists the six main things you should consider before buying any reseller package .

1: Control Panel and WHW(Web Host Manager)

This one is ranked number one I guess. Make sure you get a control panel , Cpanel is the best and widely used control panel for any reseller and non reseller accounts.WHM(Web Host Manger) lets you easily manage your customers and hosting business.It lets you set up , delete , monitor web hosting accounts.

I heard that some companies which offer reseller hosting packages set up accounts for you . You shouldn't go with such companies because You want to manage your customers and Your customers want their own control panel where they can manage their sites. So you need to make sure that you get Control Panel and WHM with the reseller package you get .Also any account you create should get its own control panel without paying any extra $$$.

2: Private Name Servers and Dedicated IP address.

These two are very important if you want to keep people from knowing the original hosting company.If you don't have a private name server then you will be using the original hosting company's name servers ,e.g. ns1.hostingcompany.com and ns2.hostingcompany.

You don't want people to make a who is search and find out about that the original hosting company . In order to hide the original hosting company you must be able to make your own private name servers. Most of the times companies that offer reseller packages give you that but sometimes you need to ask them before making any payment .

Why do you need a dedicated IP address for your site and the sites you are going to host? Well here is the answer . When you get a reseller hosting package , you don't get a dedicated IP address instead you will have to use the shared IP address which the company is using .Even though you can hide them with your private name servers but it will be easy to find them if the IP is resolved.

There are many tools out there that can be used to find out such things, so wouldn't it be better if you were using an IP address that your site and the sites you host will be using instead of the one which the company and millions of their shared hosting customers are using? I'm sure it would be.But getting a dedicated IP address can cost you like $2-$5 per month and as you can see it worths .After all you don't want potential clients to go the the original company so make sure you get those two ready for your new hosting company .

3: Quality Customer Support

Well here comes another important one . Once you start a web hosting company , it can be very stressful. Clients keep opening tickets . So for that reason and many other reasons you will need efficient and friendly support from the company which you are buying the reseller hosting package from .

They must be there for you 24/7 to assist you with any questions you may have. And make sure they don't charge you any $$ for offering support to your customers because Some companies do charge extra $$ for offering great 24/7 support for your customers .

4: Branding

They should allow Cpanel and WHW branding. What is this?Well let me try to explain it. Cpanel and WHWM branding is customising them with your own graphics using the branding function in WHM(Web Host Manager).

The reason of why this should be considered before buying any reseller hosting package from any hosting company is that you might need to use your own graphics for your cpanel and the cpanel of your accounts so for that reason and many other reasons it is better to make sure whether or not they allow Cpanel and WHW branding.

5: Established Data Center

Well most of the time web hosting companies have well established data center . But still you should check and read their network and data center information, e.g where it is located , security facilities they use, and any other thing that is needed to know about the data center .
After all you don't want to host your site and the sites of your customers on a server which is in the living room of someone

6: Acceptable Use Policy(AUP) and Terms of Service (TOS)

This one is also important.You must read the AUP and TOS of the company and see if they mention anything about resellers.Sometimes companies providing reseller packages will make you use their AUP and TOS , which means your site and all the other sites that you are going to host will accept that policy. So if you want to set up your own AUP and TOS then being with a company that doesn't allow such thing will be a big problem .

There are many reasons which you should consider this , lets suppose the company which you are going to get the reseller package doesn't allow adult hosting on the server but you want to host adult sites ,anysite, for just building a great client base so as you can see that policy of not allowing any adult material on the server will lose you many clients and also will make you look for another company. I think that is one enough reason to read and triple read the policies of any hosting company that you want to get a reseller hosting package from .

Conclussion

There you go , These are the six main things you should consider before buying any reseller hosting package . Now that you know these main things then you should start searching for the best hosting comapany that will meet your needs and your client's needs.

About the Author:
Abdillahi Abdillahi is a web designer, founder and president of http://kooshin.com , a company providing affordable web hosting and web design solutions to small to medium sized businesses and individuals. For more information , please visit http://kooshin.com

This article is reprinted with permission from www.WritingCareer.com

Domain Name and Web Hosting Hell

2005-01-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Copyright 2004 Ed Zivkovic

Does GoDaddy really suck?

I am in the process of registering more and more domain names so it seems natural to look for the best pricing deal.

Registering multiple domain names can add up quickly, especially if you register both the NoDashVersion.com and Dashed-Version.com names.

Each domain name represents a new site concept which will in most cases involve the selection of a web hosting plan.

It also makes sense to pay a little less for web hosting right? After all, all these new projects add up.

How much do you really save?

The answer to this question depends on how much value we place on our time, and our ability to determine what other software tools are required to run the type of website we have in mind.

In other words, if we think that our time is valuable, we will not mind investing an extra $50-$400 per project per year, especially if there is a lot of value added services and software tools included in the price.

What's the point in saving 50 bucks a year on some bare-bones web hosting if our time gets wasted with support issues or we need to buy additional products and services in order to run our site effectively?

Example of Web Hosting Hell:
http://www.godaddysux.com/web_hosting_hell.html

I do not know about you, but after I read one of these bad web hosting reviews, I start to become very cautious about that company. In this case, it is GoDaddy.

Research your new Web Host or Domain Name registrar

I remembered that GoDaddy has been mentioned a number of times in some of the Internet Marketing courses and SEO books that I own, so I decided to check GoDaddy out. By check them out, I do not mean just visit their web site, swallow their sales pitch and click through to the checkout patting myself on the back for a job well done.

I did a search at Google.com for the term godaddy review, and discovered some interesting results.

After reading a few of the results, I decided to search for the term "do not use godaddy" (this string was searched enclosed with "inverted commas"), and discovered even more negative feedback not only about their web hosting services but also their domain name registration and associated services.

Is it all about Price?

No way. Do we *really* save? On one hand it looks like a saving but on the other hand the saving can be offset by extra costs elsewhere.

As a result of this little study, I have no desire at this time to change my domain name registrar or my two web hosting companies that I use just to save a few bucks.

At the moment, I enjoy the following benefits from my web hosts and domain name registrar:

- Everything works to my satisfaction 99.99% of the time
- Very little support needed in the first place
- Support queries attended to quickly
- Support queries always solved to my satisfaction
- I never suffer from emotional disturbance as a result of dealing with rude support staff
- I am never accused of being the problem

Example of excellent support

I created a new directory and installed a PHP script on one of my sites. All the file permissions were set correctly and the files were uploaded in the correct format.

So I edited the HTML user interfaces and tried to upload them to this new directory. For some reason I was denied access to this new directory. Permission Denied!

I emailed my web host with a description of the problem and within a few hours my web host sent me an email saying that the problem has been fixed and that I can now proceed to upload into that directory. Wow!

A good Web Hosting and Domain Name service is worth it's weight in Gold

Who really wants unnecessary dramas with web hosting and domain name registrars? Nobody does! (except those that cannot survive one day without chaos)

The peace of mind for a few extra bucks a year buys is priceless.

Besides, even if I select some of the platinum (no extras to buy) web hosting deals out there, it still only costs about 10-30 bucks a week to run a business on the Internet.

Imagine that, for a few extra bucks, I need not worry about: Content Management Software, web design, domain name registrations, expensive keyword research and SEO tools, search engine rankings, and the list goes on and adds up *real* quick.

Compare this to a regular bricks and mortar business where you pay thousands a month in rental fees just for a bit of floor space.

Sometimes it pays to do the sums. It might *appear* to cost more money at first, but does it really cost more after you calculate the out-going dollars over the whole year?

When I was in the process of building my first web site, I would not have had the capacity to answer that question because I had no experience. But you know that old saying:

"When someone with experience meets someone with money, the one with the experience ends up with the money and the one who had the money, ends up with an experience"

As a result, I have ended up spending thousands of dollars on eBooks, software, scripts, courses, private memberships, DVDs, VCDs, MP3s in an attempt to complete the Online Marketing mystery. This is all now part of my experience.

Conclusion

When we go looking to buy a car or a house, we do not base our decision on price alone. Otherwise we would all be driving around in smokey old $200 bombs. We look for features which we then translate in some way to benefits.

So why waste time looking for cheap-as-chips deals for the very important job of setting up an Online Business? We would do much better to look beyond price when buying services on the Internet.

The author, Ed Zivkovic is based on the Gold Coast in Australia.
Contact details are available at his web site along with many helpful webmaster articles: http://www.ezau.com

This article is reprinted with permission from www.WritingCareer.com

Choose a Host that matches your Home Business needs

2005-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Copyright 2005 Arun Pal Singh

With plethora of hosting companies offering services, choosing a good web host seems an intimidating task. The technical jargon is hard to decipher and that makes it difficult further. It is better to prepare beforehand and then search for offers rather than acting otherwise.

What is web hosting? If one compares the web to land hosing is the place where your office or website will be placed. Server is the computer which stores your website files and allows them to be viewed on clicking the link to your site.

With free hosting out of question for business and dedicated hosting being too expensive, shared hosting is the only and good option for home business. As the name suggests, in shared hosting your site is stored with many others unlike dedicated hosting which stores only your site.

Now let us discuss other features:

•Disc or Server space:

This is the space on hard disk of your server that will be allotted to your site. Without graphics a typical web page occupies 40 – 50 Kb. Now 1000 kb = 1 MB. Allowing space for graphics too and need for any future expansion anything between 50 -100 MB should be good enough if you are not running a flashy website. Many companies offer space up to 1 GB (1000 MB) but if you do not require, do not fall for the offer.

•Bandwidth:

A very important aspect and often overlooked. This is the amount of actual data that can be transferred from the web server that holds your website. It is directly linked to the number of visitors to your site. If you have 10000 visitors per month with few downloads you will require anything between 5 -6 GB per month. More downloads means higher requirement. As your business grows you will need more. For starting 10 GB should be good enough. That leaves you with extra margin.

•E- Mail aliases:

This lets you formulate an e-mail address on your site address e.g. anything@ your sitename.com where anything can be support, live support, help, info, subscribe etc. Anything! This makes your business look professional. Look for you needs but anything around 10 is good enough. Many companies offer unlimited aliases too.

•Watch for these too:

If you plan to accept payment on your side an access to SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption is must. If you want your site to be interactive you would need to install cgi(Common Gateway Interface). So better to look for a host who supplies you your own cgi bin.

If you wish to create your site in Microsoft FrontPage then check whether your host provides FrontPage extension. If you plan to run a site with database then MySQL should be a desired feature.

Your host should also provide you free access to your server. You should have free access to log files and statistics of the traffic your site receives. If your host offers referral programme it is better.

•Customer Support:

This matters a great deal to your business. You will need this help whenever you run in trouble. If your host is not supportive or is not prompt enough then it could mean loss in your business. See that you are provided a good and meaningful support. Send them a question or two. Study the response. Find out if they are available on phone in case you are in emergent situation.

Make sure that this service is free and they will not charge anything in name of customer support.

Finally, you will have to find what matches your business needs. Search before you settle for a deal. Narrow down your choice to a few prospective hosts. Look for their reputation. Ask them examples of sites hosted.

Check with their existing clients and find how satisfied they are. Most good business hosts are available between $ 15- 50 with few differences that could matter to the individual.

You can start small and upgrade later provided your host gives you this option. Select the one who allows you to expand if the need arises.

Just two words before you go. “Select carefully”

Arun Pal Singh runs a successful business from home at http://www.homeforprofits.com. He is also publisher and editor of Home for profits’ income course, a free newsletter with hundreds of tips for home business which can be subscribed by mailing to homeforprofits@getresponse.com

This article is reprinted with permission from www.WritingCareer.com

First Web Hosting Experience

2005-01-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

Everything here depends on the size of your website.

In fact the easiest way to calculate the volume of the disc space do you need is to check your website's weight at your computer folder. But note that you'll need some extra space, just in case.

For example, if your web site needs 100 MB of disk space, look for the plan which offers at least 150 MB of web space; this will prevent a large unexpected bill at the end of the month when high priced costs, charged by most web hosts for extra disk space usage, are added on to your bill.

Bandwidth

Try to estimate how much bandwidth (data transfer) your web site may use. And of course make sure that you get more bandwidth than your site uses.

For example, if your website uses 5GB bandwidth per month, then choose a plan, which offers at least 8 GB bandwidth per month. This again will prevent from paying more money for ‘extra bandwidth in the end of the month.

Website Speed

This is a very important factor while considering a hosting service.

This will decide how fast your website loads when some one visits your site. You need to know that your future visitors and customers are very busy, so you need a fast server. Otherwise they won't be sitting and waiting for the load of all your texts and graphics.

Feel free to ask your hosting provider to provide you with a list of their client's websites to check their speed.

Mail Server

Make sure that you get enough email addresses with your own domain name. There is no need to pay an extra fee for use of a mail server as many hosts offer this service now for free, within the hosting plan.

...

Now what? That's all for now my friend. If it's your first hosting experience – this information will be sufficient for you I suppose. Of course there're many many other features that you'll find out later. But as for now – let's won't overload you with them all.

If you need to get more information about choosing web hosting or even running a web hosting company – go to www.webhostingoverview.com – believe me, there you'll find everything you need.

Author: Igor Romanoff (Web Hosting Overview)

Date: June 5, 2004

Email: info@webhostingoverview.com

Web Hosting Overview is a resource for everyone looking to find a website hosting company.

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Buyer Beware: Web Hosting, Registration, and Site Building. "All in One" Package Nightmares

2005-01-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

Starting out in any type of online marketing or Internet business can be confusing and overwhelming. There are so many different aspects of a start-up: domain name registration and purchase, Web site host purchasing, and of course, the "building" of the Web site itself. This leaves many consumers looking for an easier way to purchase everything in one place, both to save money and to save time.

This has led to the rise of "total packages" by many hosting and Internet development companies, where everything is included: domain-name registration, software for design of a site or an online method of building a site, professional design of the site, and of course, the hosting. This is quite popular as it whittles down the process of getting a site up and running for many new to the Internet and online marketing.

However, with the convenience of Web-hosting packages of this sort, there also can be inconveniences. No road is paved "with gold" and this type of registration, hosting and design package deal is no exception. There can be problems that surface later on when purchasing a Web design and hosting package that also includes registration. These problems usually present themselves in the following forms:

1. Once a Web site becomes popular, the hosting charges may rise exorbitantly, as the "special" that was presented initially can become inapplicable once a certain amount of traffic or the size of the site changes. This is more of a problem for larger business sites than for smaller business sites or "personal" or "theme" sites.

2. Some "specials" only exist for a limited amount of time, and the charges can rise steadily after that period.

3. A Web site owner may have different needs as time goes on, and the "package" no longer suits the needs of the owner. This can include the inability to change the pages on one's own, or the inability to effectively track traffic, as some come with traffic statistics packages.

4. Downtime (when a site is down and can't be viewed) can be significant enough to warrant a change of hosts or domain name registrars.

5. A Web site, registration, and web hosting package company may go out of business, leaving a client with no way to contact them, and three services to quickly replace. This also leaves a site open to loss of the registered domain name, as well as loss of revenues while the site is "down".

6. A contract may exist which states that the "special" prices are only offered contingent on remaining with a certain company for a specified amount of time (which may be years).

7. The actual "name" of your site may not even be registered to "you" the perceived "owner", but to the hosting and registrar company that initiated the purchase through the package deal. This how the Web site hosting, design and registrar packages "save" money many times for consumers, as they "buy in bulk", registering hundreds of sites per month.

All the above seem simple enough to rectify. Simply "switch" the Web site, hosting, and domain name registrar to that of other companies.

This is the point, however, in which "trouble" can rear its ugly head. Some hosting and domain name registrars seem reluctant to "hand over" a site to any other company, as it does mean the loss of a customer and therefore, revenue, for themselves. The current hosting company and registrar may likewise delay a transfer, or refuse to provide sufficient information to a new host or registrar to effectively conclude a transfer. It becomes even more tangled, if the name of a site has been registered to them.

This is where it is possible for a "nightmare" of subterfuge regarding a site to begin. Sometimes, after numerous contacts, with no reply, a Web site owner will realize that the switching of the site has become a real battle.

Here's an actual real life example of a friend of mine, Katheryn:

After much downtime had occurred, Katheryn wrote to the initial hosting company, and domain name registrar, stating her disappointment in the service. A rather nasty letter was received in reply, telling her that she could either "like it or lump it" and that there was not anything they could do, as a contract was in place that could not be "broken" by any means. The language of the e-mail correspondence was rude and uncalled for, and a phone number was not provided anywhere for more personal contact, neither was the name of the support person that wrote the e-mail.

The site remained down consistently, as well, over the next few weeks, forcing Katheryn to sign up for a different hosting plan with a different host, and also re-register the domain with another registrar. Luckily for Katheryn, the registration of the site was in her name, and a new name did not need to be purchased. At the time of import, however, the previous "problem" host refused to initiate a transfer, claiming that the contract remained intact, and therefore the site could not be transferred. The new hosting company had to "maneuver" the site onto it's own servers without the cooperation of the previous company, costing the client more time and money than was necessary.

For months afterward, Katheryn was billed repeatedly by the previous hosting company for monthly hosting, even though a site no longer existed on their servers, and they were in essence hosting "air" at this point. Copies of all correspondence had to be sent to the billing service to "dismiss" this recurrent billing, which was the only option left to Katheryn at this point.

I'm sure there are many people like Katheryn who at one time or the other have gone through such ordeal.

Some possible methods of avoiding the "trap" of packages such as this:

1. Read all paperwork and contracts thoroughly. The fine print is indeed, very "fine" sometimes, for a reason, and reading everything thoroughly will save frustration and misunderstandings later.

Above all, make sure that the registration will be done in "your name", as the loss of a popular name, with a large amount of traffic, is a HUGE loss. Or better still, register your domain name yourself. With so many online domain registrars, it's very simple to register a domain name online. The only thing you need to do once you have bought a hosting package is change the "name servers" through the control panel provided by your domain registrar.

If at all you are not satisfied with your hosting company and would like to shift to a different company, simply change the name servers to point to the new company. That's it!

2. Make sure there is a contact phone number and physical address for correspondence with the companies if the need should arise. As in the case of Example #1, the lack of a phone number and physical address was detrimental to effective correspondence and resolution.

3. Take the time to research different plans and different companies. If at all possible, ask to speak to some of their other clients to ensure that they are indeed sensitive to the needs of their own customers and are flexible enough to adapt to changes in a site over time.

4. Take the time to correctly ascertain your own needs and the needs of any site you'll be building. The package needs to "fit your needs" explicitly.

5. If at all possible, use different providers for each stage of a Web site: hosting, domain-name registrar, site building. It does take longer to get a site up and running with this method, but the overall control that you will have over the site is well worth the extra effort, usually. If one provider proves to be a disappointment, it is easier to replace one service, rather than try to replace everything at once.

As you can easily see, sometimes "time saving" strategies are not really that, and can lead to heartbreak and headaches. As with everything else, "slow but steady" wins the race, and it does pay to take the time to initiate each stage of a Web site individually.

Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based Business Opportunities - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources for starting a home based business. Visit him at: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Setting Up Your First Web Hosting Account

2005-01-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

The Basics

Setting up a web hosting account for the first time can be confusing and frustrating for the novice. This article will guide you through the steps of setting up a new web hosting account for your website.

Setting up your web hosting account will depend upon many things, the first of which is:

Do you already have a website built and ready to be hosted?

If the answer to that question is yes, then your next set of questions should be:

How was your website designed? Did you design it yourself using Microsoft FrontPage, or did you use some other WYSIWYG website building software? Did a professional designer build your site for you? Did they use Microsoft FrontPage, or did they use some other WYSIWYG website building software? Did your designer use a database driven software, such as Cold Fusion? Maybe they coded your site using a text editor – you’ll need the answers to these questions.

If you have a FrontPage website, you’ll need a web host who supports FrontPage. If your site was developed with Cold Fusion, you’ll need a web host who supports Cold Fusion. This also applies to other design software not mentioned here. Check with your web designer and/or web design program’s documentation for further help with this.

Maybe you haven’t yet designed your website. Many web hosts offer online website building software that requires no programming or HTML knowledge. If this is your strategy, make sure your web host offers such software, and find out if there’s a cost for you to use it.

Finding The Right Web Host

Locating a web host that gives you the reliability you need, plus excellent customer service, and that offers all the features you’re going to need, can be challenging.

You can begin your search by asking business associates, friends and relatives who have websites of their own, who they use. Just as you would get a recommendation for a good restaurant, word of mouth can sometimes steer you in the right direction.

You can also check out the many web hosting directories on the web. These directories are set up to allow you to search using the features that you’re looking for in a web host. Keep in mind though, that many of the listings you see may also be paid listings that are pushed your way for obvious reasons.

Once you narrow down your search to a few potential web hosts, your next step will be to visit the many web hosting message boards and forums on the web. Perform a search on each of the potential web hosts that you have in mind – read through the posts and see what other people’s experiences have been with the hosts you have in mind. If you see too many negative comments or experiences by others, you might want to take a hint from that and rule out that particular hosting company.

Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a few web hosts, you should make contact with them and get answers to any questions you have. Since you’re a beginner at this, you might strongly consider using a web host that provides telephone support. A web host that provides only email support may not be able to fully answer questions that you have – this applies to sales questions as well as support questions.

When you make your inquires, keep track of which host responds to you the quickest. Which of these hosts answers your questions patiently and takes the time to go over details with you? Do they seem more interested in getting you to sign up, or do they address topics you have no concern about, beware of those danger signs.

Signing Up For Your Web Hosting Account

Most web hosts have multiple plans that you can choose from. The trick is to choose a web hosting plan that provides you the features you actually need, without choosing a plan that offers you features you don’t need, or may never use. This is probably the most difficult thing a novice will be faced with when choosing a web host. You’ll need to choose a plan that strikes an even balance between what you need right now and what you may need a month or two down the road. Your website might remain the same size as it is today, by next year; however, your site may grow quickly, requiring additional resources in a relatively short period of time.

Consult with your web designer and with your potential new web host about these issues. Ask you potential web host if it’s easy it is to upgrade your account if you need additional services. Ask if there are any additional charges if you upgrade your account.

The last thing you should do before signing up for a web hosting account is to read your web host’s AUP (Acceptable Use Policy), and/or their TOS (Terms Of Service), and/or their SLA (Service Level Agreement). Make certain that you understand and agree with your new web host’s policies, and that your website does not break any of your new web host’s rules and regulations. By not reviewing your new host’s contracts with you, you may find your website and email shut down without prior notice for breaking a rule you were not aware of, or you might end up paying for fees you didn’t know you were liable for.

The majority of web hosts require you to sign up for a hosting account by using your credit or debit card. Some hosts offer online check payment, as well as paper check payments. Many web hosts accept PayPal. You might want to ask if your host offers discounts for advance payment. Some hosts offer substantial discounts if you prepay a year in advance. I don’t recommend this until after you’ve had some time to experience your new host’s level of service and support.

Most importantly, don’t rush into signing up. Wait until you get all of your questions answered to your satisfaction.

Author: WebSite Host Directory .Com Date: 6/15/2004 Email: mkt@websitehostdirectory.com The WebSiteHostDirectory.Com is a resource for webmasters and consumers looking to find a website hosting company or a quality expiring domain name. WSHD is part of the Techpad network of sites. Contibuting editor Russ Mate can be contacted at www.matemediainc.com

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

How to Transfer Your Web Site to Another Host Without Losing It

2005-01-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

You want to change web hosts because you have found a less expensive solution for your web site. You are not happy with the services your host is providing. The response time for technical support is too slow. You make the decision to change web hosts.

Now you are faced with the daunting task of switching web hosts without losing the files and beautiful design of your web site. How do you achieve this? Here are the steps you need to take:

1. Make a complete copy of your web site . Use your favorite FTP utility (I use SmartFTP.com), to download all files to your computer from your web host. Don't assume you already have all the files on your computer - you may have added some scripts from the Net that are on your server but not on your computer.

If you are using Dreamweaver, use the GET command to copy all your files.

If you are using Frontpage, use the import feature to make a complete copy of the old web site.

2. Choose your new Web Host. Choose a new Web Host that meets the needs of your web site (www.isitebuild.com/webhostarticle). If you don't know how much space you need, read the article: "How Much Hosting Space Do You Need"? - www.isitebuild.com/hostingspace ).

3. Transfer your domain name Contact the domain name registrar (place where you registered your domain name) and change the Domain Name Server (DNS) or Name Server information to your new hosts DNS information.

Your site is going to experience a downtime while your DNS record is being changed and propagated through the world's WHOIS servers. It will take about 24-72 hours for the process to be completed.

Maintain any existing services set up on your old domain name such as email forwarding, web pointing and website hosting until the transfer is complete to ensure continuity of your service.

You can check the progress of your domain name transfer by using a Domain Name Search facility such as Whois.net. You should see the details change from your previous Host to your New Host when the transfer is complete.

4. Upload all files to your new Web Host. When you are sure your domain name has been transferred, upload the files to your new Web Host.

Dreamweaver - define your site first, and then use the PUT command to transfer all your files and html pages. This will ensure that your whole web will remain intact with the transfer.

FrontPage - create a new Web from the site files you have imported from your old host, then publish them to the new host. Make sure your new host has Front Page extensions installed. This process will transfer your complete site to your new Host.

5. Transferring web pages to the New Host. Dreamweaver or FrontPage editors make it very easy to transfer html web pages. They keep most, if not all your web site intact for the transfer (as explained above).

Another way to transfer your web pages is to copy the source code by right clicking on the page as you see it when you visit the site and select 'view/source'. It will come up on Notepad. Select 'file/save as' and save to a place of your choice as an HTML file. To do this, at the bottom of the box just before you save it, it will say '.txt'. Change the drop menu to 'all files' and then change the '.txt' at the end of the name you're saving it as to '.html', then save it. You will then have a complete page ready to load to wherever you want. If you have images though, you'll have to save them separately.

6. Amending your web site . Sometimes your web site may not look exactly the same as on your last Web Host. This is because the html code and/or files did not completely transfer. This may happen more often with the editors. FrontPage will do this more because it uses FrontPage extensions for publishing (extra files for easy publishing).

Make the necessary design changes to mirror the site you had previously hosted. You may have to eliminate or add some code to completely reflect your original site.

7. Testing your web site. Once the domain name and your web site files have been transferred, you should test that all services are working on the your new Host (i.e. email services, etc). If it's working correctly, go ahead and cancel all your remaining services with your previous hosting service.

Transferring your web site to a new Host doesn't have to be such a nerve-racking task, once you know the exact steps to take. Now you can enjoy the savings and services of a new home for your web site.

About the author:

Herman Drost is a Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) owner and author of iSiteBuild.com Low Cost Hosting and Site Design (http://www.isitebuild.com/sitehosting.htm)

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Finding that Host that Offers the Most

2005-01-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

Whether you already have a website or are thinking of setting up shop online, sooner or later you'll have to deal with the issue of web hosting. Although it may seem like a "no brainer," there are actually many factors you'll need to consider before making this important decision. Your first inclination may be to look only at the cost, thinking "cheaper is better." However, that old saying "you get what you pay for,"is especially true in this situation. Here are some of the more important points you'll want to look at when considering your next host.

UNIX/ NT/ The two most popular hosting platforms to choose from are UNIX and NT. UNIX is by far the favorite, as it was the only choice way back in the early days of the Internet. It is easy to configure, great for setting your own file permissions and the platform for most of the free scripts available for download. It is flexible, reliable and supports scripting languages like Perl and PHP3.

NT is Microsoft's baby. One problem that I have found with NT servers is a lack of readily available scripts that work on this platform. Also, (unlike UNIX) many NT users need assistance from their Web Host Administrators to set file permissions. NT supports MS applications such as ASP, Access, FP and scripting languages such as Perl, Cold Fusion and ASP.

TECH SUPPORT/ When you need help you'll want to make sure you can get it. Some web hosts offer phone support or even live chat. Make sure they have good tech support in place as there's nothing more annoying than needing assistance with your site and not being able to get it.

SET UP FEE/ MONTHLY FEE/ Some hosts charge an initial set up fee to get your site set up and running on their server. Make sure you check on this when comparing prices. I've seen monthly fees ranging from 9.99 to 39.99, depending on the plan and services offered. My advice to you would be to look past the cheapest and most expensive ends of the scale and go with a mid-range pricing plan to be on the safe side. You should be able to pick up a reliable web host for 20 to 25.00 per month.

HARD DRIVE/ SPACE/ How much space they're willing to give you is important if you're going to compare apples to apples. You need to keep in mind the size of your site when deciding how much space you really need. Generally, 20 to 30 MB is plenty for a small site. You might want to ask if you can pay for more space should your site ever outgrow its present state.

FTP ACCESS/ TELNET ACCESS/ Even if you plan on using Frontpage to manage your site, you'll still need to have FTP access. It is usually standard, but it never hurts to ask. Make sure you keep your user name and password in a safe place. You'll use FTP to set file permissions and to upload your files to the web server.

Telnet can be very useful for troubleshooting CGI scripts and changing server configurations. There are some servers that will not grant telnet access.

CGI-BIN/ A very important component if you're planning on adding any sort of interactivity to your site like forms, shopping carts, etc. Usually comes as standard equipment, but I've seen some of the cheaper hosts leave it out entirely.

EMAIL BOXES & POP 3 ALIASES/ One thing that's very important to me is the ability to use different aliases with my domain name. For example, if your domain is ezineadauction.com, you may want to set up separate addresses to sort your mail like service@ezineadauction.com or support@ezineadauction.com. They may all funnel into the same mailbox, but you can set up filters at your end, making customer service a whole lot easier.

If you have a "wildcard" account, you can set up as many aliases as you like. If you have other employees who will need their own private box, check with the web host to see how many boxes they will allow.

STATS/ Once you start getting traffic, you'll want to know where it's coming from and what pages of your site are being visited. Some web hosts will throw stats tracking in with their standard package or at least give you access to your log files, which you can then use with third party software to run reports on the traffic your site is receiving.

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS/:

1) If you want to use Frontpage: Do they have the FP server extensions installed? 2) Do they offer autoresponders? 3) How about a secured server option for payment transactions? 4) Do they back up all websites in case of disaster? 5) Do they offer assistance in programming or design work if needed at an hourly rate? 6) Do they offer shopping cart software if you're going to be selling products? 7) Do any customized forms come standard with your account, like feedback or order forms? 8) Bandwidth- Be aware that bandwidth is how much data can be transferred in a month's time. This shouldn't be a concern unless you're getting a ton of traffic, but be aware that most hosts do have limitations on what they'll allow.

As you can see, there are many factors to take into account when choosing a web host. Your host is essentially the spine of your site,so you want to make sure that the one you choose is reliable and solid. Nothing can ruin a site faster than an unreliable host. I know; been there, done that.

Remember, choosing a good host is essential to the success and reliability of your online business. Do your homework and choose the one that's right for you.

About the author: Merle http://www.EzineAdAuction.com "Where some of the BEST Deals in Ezine Advertising are Made" Buy & Sell Ezine Ads in a live auction setting! Publishers sell off your excess inventory and Buyers pick up some Fantastic bargains. Go now.

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

3 Mistakes to Avoid While Choosing a Web Host

2005-01-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

Choosing a web host is the first vital step you'll take toward having your own website. Your web host will provide space on the Internet for your site so that the whole world can view it. But, choosing a web host is not as easy as it may seem.

There are a few mistakes to avoid while choosing your host. I'd like to share these with you below, and explain why it's important to avoid these mistakes at all costs - especially if you wish to start an online business.

3 Mistakes to Avoid

1. Free Web Space - Remember seeing all those ads that mention "free web space"? Please avoid participating in these services. In most cases, the reason it's free is because the company will place advertisements for other websites all over your web page. This defeats the entire purpose of having "your own" web business.

Why should you have to give your potential customers away? Shouldn't you be able to keep the visitors that you have paid to receive through your own ad campaigns?

With "free web space" sites, you'll give away more business than it would cost you to get your own domain and hosting service. It's not worth it.

2. Limited hosting - Avoid hosting packages that will not allow you to add order forms, statistics, or multiple email accounts to your website. These are necessary tools for any webmaster who desires to open an online business.

It's best to choose a hosting service that offers many options such as:

- Multiple POP Email Accounts - Dedicated Hosting - Secure Servers - Web Usage Statistics - Web Space Allocation (you can get how much web space you'll need) - URL Redirection - Autoresponders

These are just a few "necessary" services to look for when choosing a web host for your new website.

3. Low Cost Hosting - Watch out for very low cost hosting packages (i.e. $2.50 per month). They usually require something in return, which can take away profits from your online business.

I must admit that it does sound appealing to sign up for free or very low cost hosting, but count the costs before signing up...

- Each time an advertisement banner is placed on your website, it's designed to get your visitor to click out of your website and go some place else. Most free or low cost web hosting services place these banners at the very top of your web page - giving the visitor an opportunity to click out of your site before getting to the first words of your presentation.

- One complaint that comes to mind about a free hosting service was that the company's server became overcrowded and the customer could not get their website to come up 50% of the time. When this happens, your business is closed - and you have no control over this situation.

One final point about hosting before closing. If you get your own domain name, and your own hosting, your visitors will have more confidence in your site, and will be more willing to buy your products or services.

Search for a web host that offers fabulous service, affordable rates, and everything you'll need for your online business. You'll be glad you did!

About the author: Candice Pardue, editor of Web Design Weekly. Still searching for a web host that meets the requirements above? Look no further. Go here for a special hosting starter package offer... http://www.webmastercourse.com/web-hosting/

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Changing Web Hosts? Step-By-Step Guide

2005-01-18T10:17:00.001-08:00

Every webmaster cringes at the thought of moving hosts. Like moving your home it can be messy and sometimes problems arise. But if you follow these simple steps, your move will be less painful.

Backup Backup Backup

If you've been diligent with your backups, you've got a lot of insurance to fall back on yet always make the latest backup. If you haven't, before you do anything else, do a backup now. Backup anything and everything you can and don't forget your database if your site relies on it. Save at least 2 copies and store them separately. One for you to work with, and the other as an archive. Do not underestimate how easy it is to copy over these files as you make changes or simply mess it up.

If you're moving to a host who has as different control panel, make a manual backup by downloading all your files because different control panels may not be able to restore the backups made by your old host. They also have different directory structures so your file trees will be in a mess. If you need to, make a small note file with notepad with memos for you to remember the old server configurations. This will help you as you make changes on your new host server and save the confusion moving back and forth between hosts. Remember to make the correct transfer type (ASCII or Binary) as you download. If your download is not right chances are you'll have a tough time getting your site to work on the new host server.

If server logs are especially important, remember to backup those too. There is no good way of moving logs yet because different hosts may log statistics differently. So the best thing to do is to download it and use a log analyzer on your computer to make references to later on.

Gather Odds & Ends

1. A Good FTP program which you should have by now 2. Get your new host server's DNS 3. It's also helpful to have a script that tells you the server environments installed on your new host server for quick references. 4. Get the temporary URL on your new host so you can check your site before you make a DNS change. 5. If you have your host control the domain inform them not to change your DNS until you tell them to. 6. If you run scripts: ? Get a copy of the original installation guide and the script. Sometimes after moving the scripts just do not work right so you might need to install the script from scratch. ? Get a list of all the server paths such as Perl, Sendmail and home directory on your new server. ? If your script needs special server modules or programs ensure they are installed and where. Even though these might be covered before you ordered the account with the host but sometimes your host has removed it or haven't installed it yet.

Inform Your Visitors

It is common and good practice to inform your visitors and customers of the server move. If you run a e-store, this helps assure your customers you have not fled with their money if there is any downtime. Also give an alternate email so you won't lose emails in the transfer. You might also want to give periodic updates prior, during (if there is downtime) and after. If your site is large, doing this is helpful because your visitors can alert you whenever there is a part of the site not working.

Moving Day

Try to schedule the move at a time where there's least traffic. Backup again just before you do the move so you'll have the latest data. Start by first copying or creating your custom error pages onto the new host server. Put a small note in there about the move. You can always remove it later. Then upload the most visible parts of the site first i.e. the main pages then move on to the less critical parts of the site. If you have a large site with many divisions you might want to split them across different days and instead move the least critical first. Just ensure you always do a backup before you do any moving. Use the temporary URL to check your site, visiting as many pages as you can.

Changing DNS

Once you're satisfied, change your DNS over. This typically takes about 24-48 hours so you have time to make some minor changes if need be. You might want to also take this time to modify your old site's error pages to inform your visitors of the move and give a new URL if there are URL changes. To help you determine if the DNS has resolved, make a small change on the new pages to differentiate between the old and the new.

Monitor

After you've moved and the DNS resolved, do not release the old account yet. Keep it as long as two weeks running concurrently. Go back and check the old servers for activity. Check your old email account and if you have a web based contact method on the old server check to see if any communication is left there. Once you're comfortable all email and traffic is correctly directed to the new host server, you can cancel that account.

HostVoice.net - Where Hosts Compete For You! Looking for a web host? Let them compete for your business. Submit a free request and receive offers within 15 minutes from qualifying hosting company. We offer Budget, Windows, Dedicated, Reseller, Adult, e-Commerce, and more! When hosts compete for your business, you win!

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Don’t Make My Hosting Mistakes!

2005-01-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

During the course of business, HostVoice serves many customers and sees many situations plaguing webmasters out there. Here are 10 true-life hosting mistakes our customers tell us they learn from and how to avoid them.

1. Falling For The Price Trap The call of low hosting prices is like a siren. There are reasonable budget-hosting solutions and there are outrageously low budget hosting almost guaranteed to become a nightmare. If the price makes you wonder how they make money then you can look forward to an extremely slow site or even denial of service because they maxed out the bandwidth. Not good. Trust your instincts stay clear.

2. Inexperienced Reseller or Not Researching Your Reseller Hosting with a reseller is not a bad thing. In fact sometimes resellers give you very good support. But you need to do your second layer research. Sometimes a reseller is very good all around but inexperienced especially when it came to scripts and server environments. Some resellers also couldn't accommodate customer requests because the server administrators wouldn't work with them under any circumstance. This usually happens when the server administrators are bulk sellers who are disconnected from the end customer. If the server administrators are not reliable or cannot accommodate you, don't hope your reseller can. Resellers should also have done their homework and know their servers as if their own.

3. Not Clearly Defining Your Requirements. As an ongoing process you should keep a list of what resources your site needs and add to that list as you grow. One Webmaster was changing their static HTML pages to dynamic, which meant scripts were going to be used. Since the Webmaster didn't have a clear idea of what he would like to install and what these scripts required, he only found out after moving, the host servers were not compatible with the scripts. He lost months of work moving the sites in and out again. So, maintain a list. It also makes it easier when you need to upgrade because you can show the list to your host.

4. Purchasing Hosting In An Auction It might be a good place to pick up a deal but then you'll need to go back and review the first point. This is not to say all auctioned hosting is completely unreliable but in case you haven't noticed auctioned items have a good deal of terms and conditions attached, usually more than if purchased through the website. This makes your package very inflexible. Unless you review closely those terms or if you have a small static HTML pages with little ambition for the site, stay away or pay their regular website prices. This way the host will more likely work with your requirements.

5. Forgiving A Host's Bad Or Limited Website If the host can't or won't take time to craft an informational site of their own, most likely they won't be too concerned about yours either. Cookie cutter sites are a dead giveaway.

6 . Putting All The Eggs In One Basket If you manage several sites, it seems like a good idea to have everything in one account. You can simplify your billing and get a better deal. Not always. We know of some webmasters who lost hours or work time because they couldn't work on anything since all their sites were down. If your site generates income and they are interconnected, having all sites down at once is bad business. There is an option to this though. Ask your host if they'll be willing to split your account across 2 or more physical servers.

7. Taking Testimonials At Face Value Not all testimonials are created equal. You need to ask other webmasters, talk to their customers. If they don't list customer names on their site, ask them if you can contact any of their customers or if they'll contact you. If the host refuses, beware.

8. Not Keeping A Record Of Their Contact Information Most of us are happy with email, forum and live support. One Webmaster's host was down for days. This also meant the host's own site. The Webmaster couldn't contact them at all because he hadn't taken the time to record a physical address or telephone number. 24/7 telephone support is still desired. When your site is down indefinitely and you're losing visitors even sales it's guaranteed you'll want to talk to someone.

9. Relying On Host Backups This happens far too often. When a customer's site went down indefinitely, they were stuck. They couldn't put the site with another host because they didn't have any backups of their own. They would have to start from scratch, which would be just as bad because the site was rather mature. Always keep your own backups.

10. Trusting your host to have the latest software Internet crime is and viruses are more prevalent than ever. New software or the latest versions are meant to plug security holes. A customer had their site hacked twice in 2 months only to find out the host was not up to date with their software. Check with the host before you order what versions they are running and how often they make updates.

HostVoice.net - When Hosts Compete, You Win Looking for a web host? Let them compete for your business. Submit a free request and receive offers within 15 minutes from qualifying hosting company. We offer Budget, Windows, Dedicated, Reseller, Adult, e-Commerce, and more! When hosts compete for your business, you win!

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Bandwidth Or Data Transfer – Which is Which?

2005-01-18T10:14:00.000-08:00

Too often web hosts talk about bandwidth and data transfer in the same breath but truth be known they are different although very closely related. Bandwidth is how much data can be transferred at a time and data transfer is how much data is being transferred.

Think of it this way. If bandwidth were a bridge, then the bigger the bridge is the more vehicles can pass through it. While data transfer is the number of vehicles allowed on the bridge in say a month. In essence, data transfer is the consumption of bandwidth.

How It Affects Your Site

The less bandwidth you have, the slower your site takes to load regardless of the visitor's connection type. If you have more visitors, some of them will have to wait their turn. The least data transfer you have, the more often you'll find your site unavailable because you're reached the maximum allowed until a new month rolls by or you upgrade your account.

Determining Your Requirements

Usually when a host talks about bandwidth, they are referring to your transfer. So you need to figure out what is sufficient for your site to function. You'll need to gather some information; fairly easy if you already have a site. Most of this information is available from your traffic history. If you don't have an existing site, provide an optimistic estimate if you intend to heavily promote the site. Then get ready for some math.

Find out the daily averages of: - · Number of visitors / expected number of visitors · Page size including the graphics of the page · Page views / expected pages viewed by each visitor

Then, multiply them as follows: Visitors x Page size x Page views x 30 days = Monthly Website Transfer

You should also throw in a small margin or error there to take into account email traffic and your own uploads to the server. If you offer downloads, then you should add the following:

Average/Expected downloads x File Size x 30 days = Monthly Download Transfer

Unlimited Plans

Bandwidth is very expensive. All hosts are limited by their own allocations. Thinking back to the bridge. What happens is each visitor to your site will be given a smaller lane to transfer the data, creating many tiny lanes therefore "unlimited". The more visitors you have the smaller each lane will be, which makes each visitor wait for the page to load.

More often than not there is little choice over your bandwidth as your host controls this. Some hosts may limit the number of simultaneous connections so in affect slowing down your site and refusing some visitors. This is called throttling. If you're concerned about this, you should ask the host how they control bandwidth usage or purchase a package with more data transfer. If you use HostVoice.net , this information is easily obtainable with one request.

Reducing Transfers

On the other hand, you can reduce your transfer amount by building simpler, more efficient websites and optimizing your graphics. Refrain from fancy flash presentations or streaming audio. Use CSS, call JavaScript externally instead of embedding in every page. Remove unwanted tags, white space and comments. Limit your META tags to those absolutely necessary. Having too many keywords is not search engine friendly. Besides many search engines will only review the first few and ignore the rest.

Another good idea is to cache your website but you might want to set an expiry date in the HTTP headers so the browser will refresh the content after a certain time. Use mod-gzip. It could save you as much as 40% of your bandwidth. Out of control robots can also suck down your bandwidth like a black hole. So use robots.txt to keep spiders in check.

HostVoice.net - When Hosts Compete, You Win Looking for a web host? Let them compete for your business. Submit a free request and receive offers within 15 minutes from qualifying hosting company. We offer Budget, Windows, Dedicated, Reseller, Adult, e-Commerce, and more! When hosts compete for your business, you win!

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

ASP web hosting

2005-01-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

ASP web hosting refers to web hosting companies who provide support for ASP (Active Server Page). If you want a dynamic data-driven web site you may wish to embed ASP code into your web site's HTML Pages. When a user is viewing a web site that is developed using ASP, the pages can change depending on the actions of the user. ASP code allows you to link your web pages to a database, where users can interact with the web page by logging in and using their own personal settings or they can interactively place orders on your web site.

What is ASP? ASP stands for Active Server Pages. Active Server Pages are HTML pages with embedded ASP scripts that are processed on the server before the page is sent to the user. ASP allows you to create dynamic database driven pages, a user can access data in a database, and interact with page objects such as Active X or Java components.

How does ASP work? When you type a URL in the Address Box or click on a web page you are asking the web server to send a file to your computer; if the file is standard HTML, then, when your web browser receives the web page it will look exactly the same as it did on the web server. However if an ASP file is sent to your computer from the web server, firstly, the server will run the HTML code; and then, run the ASP code. For example: the ASP code could be the current date, or time; and other such information.

How to find an ASP web host You will need to find a web host who will host your website on a Windows 2000 server. It is safer to host your ASP pages on a Windows 2000 server as they are more stable and most ASP components work with IIS (Internet Information Services), specific to Windows. You also need to consider if your web site uses a database (e.g. SQL, Access) and then make sure your web host provides support for the type of database your web site uses.

Author: M6.Net

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Get Yourself a Website – Without the Drama

2005-01-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

So, you're done with the free web hosts. Gone through Geocities, Angelfire, Fortune City. You're exhausted with the pop- ups and banners. You want a real site. But where to go? You look around the net, and the possibilities seem endless. 20 MB of space for only $20 a month! Wow! That's fantastic!

Or is it? Way back when I bought my domain and signed up with a web host, I was the typical "the internet is so wonderful" optimist. I was thrilled to find something that sounded just about what I kind of wanted - and bam, just like that, $300 poorer and with a useless chunk of web space that wouldn't even work properly. My domain addresses wouldn't connect, my content was being warped - things weren't looking too good for me.|

A year later and much the wiser, I know better. My site is working, I have a lovely, helpful support team, and I now know what I want. But, that's all well and good for me - I have had the added advantage of working for a web hosting company. But what about the rest of you out there who don't have my experience, who see a world of opportunity and are about to jump into the cesspit of money loss and disappointment.

So, I figure, why not let you in on a useful hint, one that may save you from misfortune. What is it, you ask? Well, simply - know what you want! Sounds way too simple for me to be handing it out, right? I don't think so! Sure, you have a vague idea of what you want, but do you know what all of it means? The "mumbo jumbo", so to speak?

I didn't think so! Listen up, sit back, relax, and before you go jumping off the deep end, scroll down and read a bit.

MB of space MB? Eh? Well, MB stands for MegaByte. This is basically the amount of storage space you will have. You can figure out how much space you will need if you spend a little bit of time thinking about what is going onto your site - how graphic intensive it will be, how many pages, any multimedia or music, etc. Make an approximation in your head and then add another 50. This will allow you to add on and expand. It's always better to have too much, rather than too little.

Pricing (Monthly/Yearly) the payment plans are generally either monthly or yearly. Make sure, even if you want a year or more of hosting, to start with a monthly plan! If you give them $3/400 for a year, and then they end up being useless, I'll bet you that you won't be getting that money back. If you start with a monthly account, you can always upgrade to a yearly account. And if you can't upgrade and you're really worried, add up how much it will be for a year, and set that money aside to slowly add back onto your credit card every month.

Domain Registration do you already own a domain name? A domain name is basically the www.yourdomainname.com. Most of web hosts will provide domain name registration in their packages. If you already own your own, you will have to transfer it to their name servers. Make sure this is possible! Ask them if they will do it for you, or ask for directions on how to do it yourself. If you don't own a name already, though, how many will you need? Will the one be enough? Do you need redirects; do you want extra names attached to sub-domains?

And then you need the actual name! If you're completely stumped, have no ideas, there are some really good places online which will create a list for you.

http://www.1ststar.com/cgi-bin/fswiz/wizard.pl?show_wizard=1 & http://www.ecxmall.com/domains/

Make sure your name is relevant to what's on your site - people tend to get annoyed if your website is called "cool- cars.com" and it ends up being about cushion embroidery.

Email Accounts there are quite a variety of options in this area. You have mail servers, mailing lists, redirects, catch all. If you're going to be getting a substantial amount of mail through your website, you might want a mail server - an actual site online where you have your own personal mail box. It would usually be mail.yoursitename.com. Mailing lists are sometimes offered and sometimes not - if you're going to be sending out a newsletter, promotional info, etc to a lot of people you might want to go with this option. A mail catch all basically does what its name suggests - catches emails with typos, wrong names etc, but have your domain written properly in the address, (i.e. typo@yourdomain.com). And finally, mail redirects, which give you an email address, but redirects emails sent to it to another mailbox - for example, if you have johnny@johnnyssite.com, it could redirect to your hotmail account.

There are many other added options as well, which you need to think about. If you want to have multimedia on your page(s), Front Page support, Access/database support, cgi-bin, custom 404 error pages, search engine submission. Sit down and make a list of what you need.

But before you do anything, send the support team of the web host an email. Ask them if they provide all of your specific requirements; describe what you are looking for. Be friendly and concise, and see how they react. If they are prompt and friendly or slow and unpleasant. You are always going to end up needing some sort of support during your hosting, and this will be a good indication of what kind of assistance you will get further down the line.

Basically what I'm telling you here is to think before you spend. So many people have tales of woe and disappointment; don't end up being one of them. There are no guarantees here, but make it as close to it as possible.

Author: M6.Net

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Are your Web Hosting costs too high?

2005-01-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

Choosing the right host is an important aspect in lowering your web hosting costs. The web hosting industry, boasting several thousand web hosts, is still young and growing at a remarkable pace; hence finding the right host is not only difficult, but very time consuming; fortunately though it is worth the time and effort. There are a few things to keep in mind when exploring; when deciding to form a partnership with the host. Below are just a few things to consider, which directly attribute to final cost.

Disk Space - Knowing how much web space your web site needs and compensating for a bit extra, for growth. For example, if your web site needs 200 MB of disk space, look for the plan which offers at least 250 to 300 MB of web space; this will prevent a large unexpected bill at the end of the month when high priced costs, charged by most web hosts for extra disk space usage, are added on to your bill. As a rule of thumb, an average web site should cost you no more than $1 per 10 MB

Bandwidth - Figure out how much bandwidth (data transfer) your web site uses. As above, ensure you get more bandwidth than your site uses. For example, if your website uses 8GB bandwidth per month, then choose a plan, which offers at least 8 or 10GB bandwidth per month. This again will prevent 'spikes' of over usage, leading to higher extra costs. As a reference, an average web site should pay no more than $3 per GB for bandwidth usage.

Block buying - Ask the web host if they have "block buying" facilities for purchasing projected extra disk space or bandwidth. But, be careful, if your web site needs only 2 GB extra bandwidth, you may have to buy an extra package in blocks of 5GB bandwidth; in this case, look for the host which will allow you to purchase extra disk space and bandwidth allowance as per your needs, this is crucial to cost savings

Note: Ensure that you know the over-usage allowance rules; you need to know what happens if your web site uses more disk space or bandwidth than you have been allocated. The web host who informs you of possible over-usage well in advance, allowing you to take measures to reduce or budget for extra usage, is 'worth their weight in gold'.

Number of web sites - if you have more than one web site, sign up an account with a web host who provides multiple domains hosted on one account; this will work out a lot cheaper than an account per website.

A good tip would be to ask your friends and colleagues if they want to host their websites with you on one account. For example at M6.net a person or persons with 4 websites can save roughly $20 per month by signing up an M6-2, multiple hosting account.

Applications and databases - Ensure that all the applications your web site uses (FrontPage, ASP pages, databases, cgi, PHP, etc.), are supported within the chosen account type. Find out if there are any extra fees for particular applications or associated database support. For example allot of hosts charge extra set-up fees to install FrontPage, which may be avoided by choosing another host offering the same features with no extra costs.

Mail Server - Emails are the lifeblood of your online business. Ensure that you get a sufficient number of email addresses with your own domain name (preferably unlimited); these are necessary for other email features like forwarders, and auto responders, etc. There is no need to pay an extra fee for use of a mail server as many hosts offer this service now for free, within the hosting plan.

Avoid long-term contracts - Many web hosts offer huge discounts on yearly or half yearly payments in advance, this may appear a good way to go, but note how long you are locked in. If possible avoid long-term contracts until you are sure about the services and reliability offered by that particular host. Paying on a monthly basis obviously has its benefits. If there are concerns with your service encouraging you to seek a new host elsewhere, you may lose out on many months of hosting fees when breaking a yearly or half-yearly contract; but, if the necessity arises, a loss of only a few days to close a troublesome account, is preferable.

Thinking ahead with reference to an established plan of action will help you avoid most surprises, and definitely help towards cutting costs, short term or long-term. Work out your growth rate and project future expansions. Keep a good record of past and present bandwidth and web space usage, this will help to project future needs.

Savings are mostly a matter of common sense, but in this industry of high technology most people forget this rule and try to look for the best, most efficient and most expensive technical programs and software to save them a buck or two. As in most businesses good cost effective groundwork is the best start to cutting costs.

http://www.m6.net

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Why a web site, and why web hosting?

2005-01-10T14:21:00.001-08:00

Imagine having a filing system that could withstand a nuclear war. Hmm, I wouldn't like to prove it, but in theory that is what the Internet could resist with its virtual existence. If you transfer files of information around the Internet, operating in virtual space, it would be difficult to lose that information if you had a mind not to.

Possessing a website has advantages for many varieties of users; serving a range of different purposes.

For example, Net presence is of enormous benefit to businesses of all shapes and sizes. Conventional filing systems, where everything is stored as a hard copy, are cumbersome, and space consuming. With a website, all existing documents can be transferred one way or another, to the Internet and neatly organized using 'hyperlinks' (virtual pathways) for quick, easy reference. You no longer need to waste your time digging through a mile high pile of paper to find what your looking for, with your own website all it takes is the click of a 'mouse'.

A website wouldn't only save you space and time, but cost too. The Internet is worldwide and a website can be used as a powerful promotional and marketing tool, viewed by prospective clients around the world. One can see what you offer in Hong Kong and Madrid at the same time.

Imagine the money you'd save on promotional printing costs. Your website could reach the four corners of the globe and be available 24 hours a day. There is no longer a need to allocate high budgets to printing promotional material for prospective clients, they are able to access the information instantaneously, and download what they need.

Imagine, neatly organized links that move you, quickly to your destination.

A website is your identity on the Internet, kind of like an interactive 'business card'. It can be the prospective client's first point of contact, presented by a knockout, easily updated, design, your site can sell you, your products and your services.

Once you have organized your web site and patted yourself on the back, that you have made your first flight into 'cyberspace', your next step is to have somewhere to 'dock' it, a place to put your website. A place such as M6.net - http://www.m6.net a 'web host' a place to 'host' your web site.

A web hosting company provides a space for you to put your web page documents (FrontPage, Dreamweaver files), images (gifs, jpgs), and more advanced pages such as ASP's, those pages that have intelligence behind them creating such items as forms, news, bbs, chat; interaction.

If the Host is clever enough, friendly, supportful; it will offer a whole range of facilities, that you or your webmaster can take advantage of, to create an interactive, humanized, mechanized and automated business presence, on the Internet.

For businesses in the new millennium there is no future without an Internet presence. Trade costs will lower; communication will get smarter and faster. Reliability will be greater. Thus there will be a vast gap between businesses with Net presence and those without.

Every one will have a presence on the Internet some day, whether it is a corporate business, Aunty Flo's bric-a-brac stall, or the family's photo library.

Alec Ellis GloPro - www.glopro.com

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Web hosting Benefits of a Dedicated Server

2005-01-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

Hosting your web sites on your own dedicated server may seem a little expensive in comparison to shared web hosting, but the end result is more advantageous. Shared web hosting, no matter how well managed, cannot be 100% reliable and stable. However if you have your own dedicated server you can manage to avoid most of the variables affecting the reliability and stability of a server, commonly experienced by shared hosting accounts; variables such as: overload, bad codes and scripts from other users (especially beginners); and, too many applications and components uploaded, and so on.

On a dedicated server you will install only software and applications you want to use, while on a shared hosting server you will find a host of other software and applications installed for other users.

By the very nature of the account, a dedicated server: reduces your dependency on the web host; and bypasses time delays and possible expenses incurred from these. With dedicated server hosting you can provide instant support to your own clients whenever required, which is not possible if you are on a shared server. A reliable, and fast support service is vital for your own business growth just like the stability and reliability you wish for your own website. In business, reliability is reflected through word-of-mouth as one of the most effective promotional activities.

For people with clients, such as Graphic Designers and Web Designers a dedicated server is invaluable. A dedicated server will bring extra income into the studio, not just as a hosting facility, but, as a designer knows only too well, for the extra 'bread and butter' income value. If you have 24hour access to your own dedicated server then you can adjust, correct or update a clients website in minutes, allowing you to keep the dollar back in your studio and not in someone else's. Ready availability results in reduced labor costs for the client, but higher studio-income frequency for the designer. Hence you will see the return of all your regular offline clients, bringing their web work with them.

The need for a dedicated server to your average shared server user is realized when stats tell you: how quickly people left your site because it was taking too much time to download; or how many daily visitors you are down by, because your site was not up. The true negative is the worry of how many lost visitors could have been your future paying-customers. The loss could easily equal the value of the upgrade to a Dedicated Server!

For a business, a website that is quickly downloadable and up all the time gives the visitor encouragement that your service is just as reliable, hence you will be more likely to make a sale. It will also enhance the company's image and encourage existing customers to refer your service to others. This will result in more sales for less promotion.

http://www.m6.net

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Web Hosting: Pre-Sales Questions

2005-01-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

Below is an example of a pre-sales email you may may use as a guide for writing your own. It includes just a sampling of some of the questions you may need answers to before choosing a host.

When you write your email MAKE SURE you do NOT ask questions that are already answered on the hosts web site! This can immediately make a host fear you will not read directions and become a tech support 'nightmare' To verify info posted on their site, state the question as such... "I see on your site it says... Is this still accurate?" The majority of hosts appreciate a domain owner that will try to find the answers themselves before taxing tech support. Remember the following are not questions to be asked but rather they are answers to be found. Also note the time you send the email and the time it is responded to.

Dear [Host Name],

I am investigating virtual web hosting solutions for a [insert description of organization or site here]. I imagine [or I have] a site that would require [insert short list of site details here. Example: heavy cgi or PHP number of emails etc, if you have an existing site insert URL]. I believe your [name] Package will work for our site and would like to ask a few questions just to be sure.

Noting the package I am considering:

Do you have an nonprofit or charitable price?

Is there a discount if I pre-pay for a number of months in advance? If so what is it?

What payment methods are available? How many months in advance am I required to pay? Is there a setup fee?

Is there a trial period or money-back guarantee?

Do you have a bandwidth/transfer/hits limit? If so, what is it and is it monthly or daily? If unlimited, is it really unlimited? What restrictions are in place? Do you have this information posted?

May I visit other sites hosted by you? I would like to see the websites and email the owners.

How long will it take, from the time I submit my order, for me to have access to the site and begin developing?

May I use my own domain name? and if so, what seems to be the current average time it takes to [transfer or register] a domain name with Internic so that everyone will be able to view it? Will my domain name work with or without the http://www. part attached to it?

If you register my domain name, I require that the name belong to me, and that I be free to host it somewhere else if that is unfortunately my decision in the future. Is this the case for your service?

Will I have my own IP number or is it shared?

Is there any requirement to place anything at all on my pages, other than my own material? If so, what is it?

What type of support do you offer? Email? Phone? Public? Hours? Limit? Average Response Time?

Out of the space provided, how much is used by the base installation of the server?

What is the OS and version of the server?

What are the hardware specs of the server?

How many sites are currently running on the server? How many more sites do you think you will put on it before it is full? How do you decide what constitutes a full server?

Do you host adult sites? [if you are not planning to have an adult site hosted it's best to be on a server that does not allow them because they use a great amount of resources and tend to slow down servers]

Is there any way for us to set up a mailing list for announcements? If so, how many addresses are allowed per list and how many lists are allowed?

Will I have 24 hour FTP and Telnet access?

Will I have anonymous FTP?

I notice this package offers [number of] email accounts. With these email accounts, can I send and receive email from and to them? Will I be able to use my own domain name as their SMTP server? Is there a 'catch all' account so that anything@mydomain.com will come to it?

Can I setup, change, and delete the email accounts by myself or do I need to ask you to do it for me?

Can I change my account password at any time? Do I need your assistance to do this?

Do you provide a full, free CGI dir? Can I run CGI scripts outside of the CGI directory?

Is there a limit to how many scripts I can install?

Do you provide full shell access? For example, could I tar/gzip files up, or run a perl script to edit all the files or create some pages from data, while on the server?

Can I debug a problematic CGI script on the server?

What version of Perl do you use? Does it contain a full set of modules?

Do you offer a stats package? If so, which one? May I view an example? Will I also have access to the raw log files? Does the space used by the stats/logs count against my allotted disk space?

May I view your Terms Of Service? [if their Terms Of Service contains small print or buried rules, ask a couple questions that apply to the 'hidden areas' and see if the person who replies to you is even aware of their servers rules - this helps to assure that the staff is adequately educated about the servers they are supporting]

[add any other questions that may be specific to your web site - If it requires cron jobs to run be sure to ask if the host allows them.. if you require PHP or ASP be sure to ask if your host offers it.. If you use editors like Frontpage make sure you ask if your host supports it - are you planning to do business on-line? If so make sure you ask what e-commerce solutions the host provides and what the cost is.]

How long have you been in business under this name? Do you have goals to upgrade and expand from your current situation? If so, what steps are being taken? (a brief idea is all I am asking for)

I have found about 7 hosts that seem to offer what I need at about the same price. In your opinion, what reason is the best reason for choosing you over the others?

Please feel free to explain anything you think I might have missed. Let me know of any reason you would be suitable or unsuited for my site. [This is a great way to see how interested your host is in you, and its services!]

By Debbie Gilespi - www.futurequest.net

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Top 3 Things to Look for in a Web Hosting Company

2005-01-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

(As Told By Web Hosting Professionals)

Annalie Drusch, Director of Corporate Communications, Rackspace Managed Hosting ( www.rackspace.com )

1. Excellent Customer Support. Your hosting provider needs to be there for you 24/7 and give you instant access to the technicians you need to solve your problem. Ask them how long it takes for them to typically respond to a customer. A good test is to call them in the middle of the night to see if you can get to a live, level 3 support tech at 2 a.m. Rackspace doesn't even use an automated attendant - a live person answers the phone 24/7. We're known in the industry for our Fanatical Support which is our philosophy that drives responsiveness and value in everything we do for our customers.

2. A Rock Solid Infrastructure. Confirm that they offer a multihomed network powered by multiple bandwidth providers to ensure redundancy. Also, investigate your hoster's Service Level Agreement to make sure it has "teeth" so you hoster will do what they promise. Rackspace offers a 100% guarantee on its network availability and has achieved 100% network uptime for the last 2 1/2 years.

3. Financial Stability. If you're running mission critical operations, you can't afford to be with a hosting company that may not be in business in a few months. What if they close down? It could be detrimental to your own business. Ask the hosting provider to show you proof of their financials and longevity of service. Rackspace has been profitable for 2 1/2 years and is net income positive. We've continued to grow through turbulent times and are committed to being here for our customers.

Tamara Field, President of Apollo Hosting ( www.apollohosting.com )

1. REAL Live Support - Call their tech support number NOT their sales number, and see if you can talk directly to a technician. Or go on their live chat and see if you are able to talk to a technician. How long did it take for you to get someone on the phone or live chat? That's very important. Just because they say they offer live support, doesn't mean they really have people there when you need them.

2. Guarantees - Money back guarantee, price freeze, uptime, and a guarantee of a refund on unused portions. There are so many hosting companies that don't offer money back on unused months if you cancel early! If you sign up for 1 year, believe it or not, many hosting companies won't give you ANY money back if you cancel 3 months later. A money back guarantee is important as is a prize freeze guarantee. But these days, look for the refund on unused hosting. Many companies don't mention it because they don't offer it.

3. Upgrade Path - If you see your business growing, and you might want more products/services in the future, then you will need an upgrade path. It is a real hassle changing hosting companies. Just getting lots of bandwidth and storage is not the answer. Many customers don't use near the amount of bandwidth and storage that many hosting companies are offering. This is really just a marketing technique for a lot of hosting companies. Look for extra products that they offer. What about ecommerce? Do they offer the best ecommerce products, SPAM/Virus filtering, Marketing tools etc. Remember that these days hosting is not just about storage and bandwidth. It's about a whole lot more. Don't settle for just space on a box . Richard Stevenson, UK Public Relations Manager at 1&1 Internet Ltd ( www.1and1.com )

Finding a no-risk Internet partner

In the UK's currently de-regulated marketplace, anyone can set themselves up as a web hosting or registration company. But how do you know they are not just operating from a shed or bedroom? More importantly, can they guarantee consistent levels of service.

This may sound obvious, but a good first step in checking out the background of a company is to look at their website. Does it look like a "bedroom project", or does it appear to be designed by professionals? Are there support mechanisms, such as email and call-back response facilities on show? Although this is no guarantee of quality and service reliability, it can give you clues to likely quality of the service you are considering.

Next, ask your friends, colleagues and associates who have their own websites if they have used the service you are contemplating and how they found the company. It is also useful to seek feedback on the company you plan to use by putting their name into an Internet Search engine and seeing the responses that result. Focus on support services, ease of use, technology and, of course, price.

Considerations when choosing a Web Hosting service

Richard Stevenson, UK PR Manager for 1&1 says, "There is a great deal of variety in the charges that companies make for domain registration and hosting services. The quality of the service you will receive is key and the level of technical support and after-sales service is a very important consideration. Secondly, it's all very well for companies to offer competitive rates, but you also need a set of software tools to develop your site. You should be sure to ask whether these will be provided free by your host, or will they be expensive extras? Finally, flexibility is important. One should check that you will not be tied into a contract which prevents you changing packages or companies".

Top 3 considerations when choosing a Web Host

Do they offer a high degree of technical support and after-sales service? What software, if any, does the company provide? Are you tied into a contract which prevents you changing packages or companies?

Brenda Sigurdson, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Compare Web Hosts ( www.comparewebhosts.com )

"In working with the industry the past 4 years and getting feedback from our users, here are the 3 most important things I think you need to look for when selecting a host provider and they should be in this order:

1. Management, Staff and Technical Support - do they offer live support? 2. Host Provider's Reputation - how long have they been in business, are they reputable, how many clients and what kind of clients do they serve now? 3. Pricing - what is the value of the hosting package, is competitively priced?"

John Zdanowski co-founder of Affinity Internet, Inc. now CFO of Marketing and Application Service Provider HouseValues ( www.housevalues.com )

"Responsiveness, awesome software and interfaces, and a comprehensive feature set are my top three" said John Zdanowski co-founder of Affinity Internet, Inc. now CFO of Marketing and application service provider HouseValues, the fastest growing company in Washington State two years in a row.

About CPU Review

CPU Review is a web hosting directory and webmaster resource site providing articles on web hosting, interviews with hosting professionals, and showcases featuring hosting companies. ( www.cpureview.com )

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Searching around for a web hosting company? Here

2005-01-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

The current count of web hosts yields just over a gazillion companies claiming to be number 1, offering the very best in what hosting can offer with prices that simply cannot be beat. Needless to say, it can take a trained eye this day and age to see through their gimmicks and get right down to whether this company has what you want. If you're confused about what to choose, read on.

Before even beginning your search, analyze what your needs are. What features would you like your site to have? What Internet programming languages do you anticipate using? Be sure to take under consideration any feedback form features, database connectivity or any other site virtue that is simply too advanced for pure HTML. Would you like e-mail addresses? Do you have a domain name? How much traffic do you expect to receive? All these questions and more help in the final decision for that one glorious hosting company.

In the midst of your search, you'll probably run across hosting services that offer 'unlimited bandwidth'. This is simply not true. The term 'bandwidth' refers to the amount of information that is past between the hosting servers and the end user. Most hosting companies are connected to high-speed Internet backbones (UUNET, Sprint, AT&T, etc) which charge the hosting company based on their monthly bandwidth from customers. Needless to say, if you rack up upwards of 25Gigs of bandwidth a month, that lacks financial prosperity for your hosting company. Be sure to read the terms of service very carefully with each hosting company that you are considering, especially if they advertise 'free' or 'unlimited' site features.

A hosting company's support services often goes untested, especially with beginners in the site design and hosting world. A skilled and prompt support staff should be one of the most important decision breakers in your mind. If you run into trouble getting a perl script to work, or perhaps your database permissions are not setup correctly on the hosting company's side. You want those problems corrected, and fast. One way to test a service's support staff is to simply send them an e-mail and see how long it takes for a response to be sent. Try to send an inquiry to support and sales and any other department you deem necessary. Ask support if they offer a web language that you like, or ask the sales department if they charge your credit card or hire another company to do it for them. If you receive a response the same day, you can probably rest assured you will receive timely help with any inquiries you have. They should not take more than one complete day to get back to you.

Perform research away from the company's web site. Ask questions through e-mail lists and other mediums to try and get some feedback. If the company lists a testimonials section, look into contacting the authors of the testimonials and start asking questions. The more comments you have, the better understanding you'll have on how that hosting service treats its customers.

Pay attention to how long they have been online. A well-established hosting company of many years will most likely yield the greatest chances of customer successes. Click on the about page if they have one and read it all; after all, you may very well be giving this company your credit card number.

Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty: Does the service offer what you want? Although you may expect your site to remain fairly small, allow yourself some room to grow, represented in megabytes (Mbs). If you're using 5Mbs, look for 10. If you're using 20Mbs, look for 30 or 40. If you are a photographer and want to use your site as a portfolio, you better opt for a more powerful account with more space and bandwidth, as images take more of both. Depending on how many images you have and how popular your site is, look for at least 50Mbs of space and 5Gigs of bandwidth. However, a regular, average size site with mostly html pages should be fine with 15 or 20Mbs and 1 or 2gigs of bandwidth and paying no more than $15 a month, depending on other features.

If you have purchased your own domain name, be sure the hosting company supports them (most do), and be sure they give you at least 1 e-mail address (you@yourdomain.com). A lot of companies offer 10 or more custom pop e-mail accounts with unlimited forwarding address at little or no additional cost, which is a nice feature.

Let's look at a few features and offerings you might find with a Windows and Linux based hosting services.

Linux

Cheaper than Windows in general

Should offer PHP and MySQL (at least and PHP)

May offer telnet accounts at little or no additional cost

Since the Linux operating system and all Linux based languages and databases are free to install and offer for the hosting company, prices are usually lower than Windows. Perl should be supported with sendmail support for any formmail scripts. SSI is nice, along with .htaccess. Linux is the choice of most budget web designers and is also much more secure than Windows. In general, more configuration options and advanced customizations are available with Linux based hosting services.

Windows

Usually more expensive than Linux

Should support ASP

Could support Cold Fusion, Access, SQL Server at an additional cost

Windows based servers are flat out expensive for the hosting company to purchase, so prices are usually a bit higher. Cold Fusion is fairly expensive and is purchased through Allaire, now merged with Macromedia. SQL Server is also purchased for a high price through Microsoft, while Access is almost free. Any important database work should be done through SQL Server. If you want the extra features through a Windows host, be prepared to pay extra. In case you are wondering, Stevesdomain.net rests on Linux based web servers.

The decision rests in your hands. If you are completely new to the design world and know next to nothing about hosting options and features, you may find a Linux based hosting service more to your liking, and for a lower price. If you are using Microsoft Access databases for the web, a Windows based hosting service with Access support would be required for you. Take your time when looking for a hosting company. Test their support services, gather comments from others and weigh your requirements to the company's features and offerings. Remember to leave yourself some room to grow and expand.

Author: Steve

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Frequently Asked Web Hosting Questions

2005-01-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

Congratulations! After much thought and consideration, you finally took the plunge and decided it was time to have your own web site. That's a great accomplishment in itself. However, now you're left with another daunting task - selecting a quality web host.

Selecting a good web host is of the utmost importance. However, with all of the technical mumbo jumbo, knowing what to look for can be very intimidating to say the least.

For this reason, I have devised a list of the most frequently asked web hosting questions.

Question : I'm not exactly sure what a web host is. Can you please explain?

Answer : A web host is a company that provides you with server space for your web site. This includes all of the files associated with your web site. When your web address is typed into a browser, the web host displays your pages.

Question : Is it true that a good web host will cost me a lot of money each month?

Answer : Although the old adage "you get what you pay for" still holds true, there are many quality web hosts that are reasonably priced. You can expect to pay $20 - $50 a month for up to 50MB of space depending on the company and your specific needs.

Question : I have been considering hosting my site with a free hosting company, but I'm a little concerned with their reliability. Can you shed some light?

Answer : NEVER host an ecommerce web site with a free hosting service. These services are highly unreliable and could care less if your site goes down. Their main concern is with their advertisers. As long as their ads are up and running, for the most part, they could care less about you or your site.

In addition, sites hosted with free services look very unprofessional. If you've taken the time to get your own web site designed and your own domain name, why would you risk your success and host with a free service? It's just not worth it.

Question : I'm at my wits end. I've been to so many hosting companies and am completely overwhelmed. I have no idea what company to go with. Can you please tell me what I should be looking for in a good host?

Answer : Selecting a quality hosting company can be an intimidating process. Your first consideration should be the company.

. Do they offer fast connections? . Do they have a back-up system in place to protect your data in case there is a power outage? . Do they require you to make payments in advance? . Do they require a long-term contract? . Do they charge set up fees? . How is their customer support? Test them. . Do they provide you with free access to a secure server for order processing? . Do they offer shopping cart software to process your orders? . Do they provide you with an online Web Site Manager? . Do they provide you with an online support manual?

Ask for references. Talk with some of their customers and ask them if they have been satisfied.

Here are some basic features you should look for when selecting a web host:

1) 24/7 reliable tech support 2) Your own domain name (www.yourname.com) 3) At least 10GB of monthly transfer (traffic) 4) A minimum of 20MB - 50MB of server space 5) Unlimited true POP email accounts - name@yourdomain.com 6) Unlimited email aliases 7) Email forwarding 8) Unlimited autoresponders 9) Your own unrestricted CGI-Bin 10) Access to SSL Encryption for secure transactions 11) MySQL Database 12) Perl 13) htaccess password protection 14) Server Side Includes (SSI) support 15) Design (and upload to) your site using Netscape or other HTML editing software 16) Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions for those utilizing FrontPage 17) Unlimited free access to your server via FTP/Telnet 18) Easy access to your log files 19) Statistics on visits to your site 20) Referral Program

When selecting a web host, you must look at the entire picture prior to making your decision. You may find a host that charges $5.00 - $15.00 a month to host your site, however, their technical support may be poor, or your web site may be slow or down a lot.

A lower monthly payment may look appealing, but how much is it actually going to cost you in lost sales? Most likely much more than the amount you'll save.

Although there are many web hosting companies online, there are only two that I can recommend. They are as follows:

Adgrafix - Professional web hosting starting at $19.95/mo. for a 50MB web hosting package. http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=wh

Host4Profit - Professional web hosting specifically designed for the Internet marketer. $24.95/mo. for 300MB http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=h4p

Take your time and select the host that best meets your needs. It will be well worth your time and effort in the long run.

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of Web Design Mastery - An in-depth guide to professional web design. And, Ebook Starter - A complete ebook design kit. Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a free subscription to Etips and receive a free copy of the highly acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing

Strategies." http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=bl1

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Pick a Good One

2005-01-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

This topic can be found anywhere on the Internet. If you visit any web hosting provider on line they will tell you how good they really are. Some are correct and some are not. Lets get down to the basics.

Back End/Network Operations Centers This is where your accounts are actually housed. Sometimes a hosting provider will lease a part of a larger network and sometimes a hosting provider will develop their own. It is important to find out what kinds and how many fiber optic connections the NOC has. Make sure there is plenty of redundancy built in. Make sure the NOC is managed 24/7, even on holidays. Make sure there are fire suppression systems in place. Last but not least, ask about security. Make sure there are plenty of security measure in place.

Customer Service Are they friendly? Do they answer their telephones? Are you put on hold and if so, for how long? If you have to leave a message, do they respond quickly? Does the rep on the other end know what they are talking about? Look at their network page and see if they have reports of down time or issue statements about problems.

Technical Support How long does it take to get questions answered and tasks performed. Send a test support message and gauge the response times. See if they offer 800 toll free support.

Ticketing Systems Do they have a ticketing system that tracks performance times. This is key. If a hosting company has this, they are serious about improving internally.

Domain Names Do they offer domain name sales? This can help to consolidate your vendor costs. See about getting a discount on domains if you are buying in bulk on a monthly basis.

Branding You Does the hosting provider offer branded support? As you grow, you will need to expand and see if the hosting provider will set you up with your own technician in your company name. Do they offer branded control panels and name servers? You need these tools to grow. Find out how easy it is to set these features up for your own account.

Scalable Discounts If you are growing at a rapid rate, ask for better pricing and discounts. It is ok to ask. It's even better when you get it and will reduce your overhead.

Financial Overview Is that particular company in the red of black? Do they have a good cash flow? How fast is the host growing and can they handle the growth? What are they doing to grow and maintain the customer service level you expect. Are they near a buy out or planning

About the Author: Christopher Berry

THE HOST GROUP INC.

thehostgroup.com

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Choosing Web Hosting

2005-01-10T14:10:00.000-08:00

You could literally go crazy trying to compare all of the hundreds of hosting plans and providers on the market. To narrow down your options, talk to friends and business associates who have professional web sites.

Ask them which providers they use or recommend. A number of Internet sites, such as CNET and Epinions, allow users to share their thoughts about web hosting companies, so their input could be valuable in your search also.

Once you've found a manageable number of potential providers, you can begin to compare plans. Here are a few things you should focus on:

* Money Back Guarantee - Many providers offer a 30-Day money back guarantee so that you can try their service risk free. Always look for this option so you don't get stuck with a service you're unhappy with.

* Storage Space - This is the amount of room you will have for your site. Of course, you don't want to pay for room you don't need, but you also want room to grow. If you've a small site in mind 10-15 MB should be sufficient to begin with.

* Bandwidth/Data Transfer - Data transfer (bandwidth usage) refers to how much data/information is sent to or received from your hosting account on the server over a specified period of time. Usually it is measured monthly.

More the visitors to your site, more bandwidth you'll require. Small sites usually suffice with 1 GB/month.

* Site Speed - This is very important factor while considering a hosting service. This will decide how fast your site loads when some one visits your site. Online surfers are extremely busy, so you need a fast server. Or else they will leave your site even before it gets loaded!

You may ask your hosting provider to provide you with a list of their client's sites (if they can) for checking their speed. Here's a good tool to check a site's speed: http://www.hostpulse.com/app/networktools/ping.asp

* Customer Service - You strive to provide exceptional service and you should expect nothing less from your web hosting company. Look for multiple methods of receiving service, such as a toll-free phone number or live chat. You may also want to consider testing their response time in advance.

* Uptime Guarantee - Your web site is like your store. If your store is closed, you aren't making any money. The same is true if your web site is down. You should only choose a plan that provides at least a 99% uptime guarantee.

* Cost - Price should also be a deciding factor. Cheaper is not always better, but there are reasonable rates for quality hosting available if you do your research. by Vishal P. Rao

Never pay for a full year of service upfront, though you are likely to pay less in the long run. You have to take into consideration their after sales service too.

Also, as far as possible, try to choose a hosting company that allows easy upgrade/downgrade between plans. This way you can trim down your costs to the maximum.

About the Author:

Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based Business Opportunities - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources to help you start a home based business. Visit him at: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com

Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information

Web Hosting - Windows vs Linux : Hosting

2004-10-31T01:31:00.000-08:00

Web Hosting Article:

The Basics of Linux & Windows :
Linux (and its close relation Unix) and Windows 2000 (and its close cousin Windows NT) are types of software (known as operating systems) that web servers use to do the kind of things that web servers do. You do not need to know any real detail of either to make a decision as to which you need but here a few guidelines.

Just because you use a windows desktop PC doesn't mean you have to opt for Windows web hosting (and the reverse is true as well). The operating system you use on your desktop has little to do with your choice of web hosts. As long as you understand how to use your FTP or web publishing software, your can use either operating system.

But what is important is that you know what you want your website to do and what you want to offer on it. This is what will ultimately help determine the type of web hosting that will work best for you. As mentioned earlier, interactive websites usually rely on ASP, PHP, or Perl type languages.

Linux Web Hosting or Windows 2000 Web Hosting ? Make your Choice !

When it comes to Web hosting, Linux has, for some time, been widely considered the best OS for Web servers. It's typically found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system and, as such, it's commonly used for the demanding environment of Web and mail servers. Indeed,Most of the clients websites of aalpha NET runs on the Linux OS precisely because of this traditional stability.

The million-dollar question is what application are you looking to use for your hosting? Consider the tools and scripting languages you plan to use – if you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific, then Windows is what you need.

If your site, like most web sites, is what might be termed "brochure-ware" then Linux servers are ideal. By brochure-ware I mean a site that offers the kind of information that in the past might have been provided on paper in the form of brochures, newsletters or data sheets. Brochure-ware sites will offer some interaction through enquiry forms and can certainly incorporate online purchasing and other routine e-commerce functions.

If however your site incorporates an online searchable database or interactive chat
facilities then Windows 2000 or NT will be a better bet in most cases. It will cost a bit more but you'll get that back in reduced development time and simply better functionality.

The following are the advantages of using Linux based web server compared to Windows based web server :

Stable: Linux/Unix operating systems has traditionally been believed to be very stable and robust. A web site housed on a Linux operating system will have very high up-time (of the order of 99.9%). Of course, other factors such as power supply, network admin skills, and network load etc. also matter when it comes to maintaining the system uptime.

Low cost of ownership: The Linux OS comes free of cost (or at very insignificant cost, usually cost of distribution). Also, it has full fledged server, and desk top applications that comes free along with the OS. These server applications (such as FTP, Web Server, DNS Server, File Server etc.) being free, are also very stable.

Ease of use : When it comes to web hosting, it is easy to host on Linux web servers. The process of uploading and hosting is almost same for both Linux and Windows web servers. If you want to use a Windows based tool such as Front Page for uploading a web site on to a Linux based web server, make sure that the Front Page extensions are enabled. This is only required if you are uploading using HTTP feature (http://www.yourwebsite.com/) of Front Page. Front Page also makes it possible to upload a web site using FTP. You need to select (ftp://www.yourwebsite.com/) for up loading using front page FTP option. Note that if you select "Front Page Extensions" during web site design, you must enable Front Page extensions on a Linux web server also. These days, all Linux web servers are coming with installable Front Page extensions, and this should pose no problem for hosting on a Linux platform.

You can use almost all types of file extensions (or scripts) when using Linux web server. Commonly, the following extensions are supported:

.cgi, .html, .htm, .pl, .php, .shtml, .xml, and others.

Basically it means that you can host web sites that use different types of server side scripts including .cgi, .pl, .php, and .asp (with plug-in).

Easy to move between hosts : A web site designed to be hosted on a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows web server easily, where as the reverse is not always true. Most widely used : Linux/Unix based web hosting is most widely used compared to Windows based web hosting.

Scalability : A web site is dynamic. Usually, a web site starts with a few pages of html and grows over a period of time to suit the customers requirements. It is preferable to design a web site keeping this requirements in mind. A web site designed for compatibility with a Linux/Unix based web server meets the scalability requirement easily without making any site wide design changes.

On the downside, Linux based web server is not fully compatible with Microsoft technologies. If you are using any specialized applications or VB for development of your web site, it is preferable to host with a Windows based web server.

However if you are not sure then email me or call Teeyes Siva on 00 91 452 3105858 and I'll help you decide by talking through the issues.

About The Author
Teeyes Siva heads the Sales Operations @ aalpha NET. He can be reached @ siva@aalphanet.com or 00 91 452 3105858. aalpha NET (http://www.aalphanet.com/) - is India’s leading domain name registration, web hosting service provider.

Managed Hosting Advantages

2004-10-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Managed Hosting offers small and large business owners a fast, powerful, reliable and professionally maintained Web presence. Managed Hosting also provides seemless and almost limitless expansion at a moments notice. Your managed Hosting solution may also include the following benefits:

you are the only client on the server
upgrade capacity is practically unlimited
additional drives and memory can be added
ability to cluster servers together when your web site requires additional resources
power guarantee and backup ensure that your data is safeguarded from faulty hard drives and power failure
Little or no technical expertise is required.